


Having You Here Is Helpful

by strawberryschaos



Category: Glee
Genre: Bisexual Jesse St. James, Drinking, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, I'm pretty proud of it though, Ice Skating, Light Angst, Never Have I Ever, Sleepovers, Smut, the longest thing I've written in literal years, then it turned into this, this started as hurt/comfort projection about me and my girlfriend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:27:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27098833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strawberryschaos/pseuds/strawberryschaos
Summary: Jesse had a bad week and Rachel's been worried about him. They have a sleepover so she can cheer him up.Rated explicit for the smutty part but that's just a couple scenes, everything else is sweet hurt/comfort fluff!
Relationships: Rachel Berry/Jesse St. James
Kudos: 13





	Having You Here Is Helpful

**Author's Note:**

> Quick warnings for content just in case:  
> -pretty explicit sex scene  
> -underage (although that's not specifically stated and this doesn't really follow any canon timeline) drinking and throwing up as a result of drinking
> 
> *I didn't explicitly state this anywhere in the fic, but while writing this I had in my mind that Jesse was the same age as Rachel instead of their canon 3-year age difference*

Rachel had changed her morning routine for the first time in years. She had added something, just a couple seconds of time; on the whiteboard that sat on her wall, between get dressed in orange marker and elliptical in blue, green ink read text Jesse. And as always, she followed the routine to a T every morning, waking up, changing from pyjamas to workout clothes, sending a good-morning text to her boyfriend, and hopping onto the elliptical. By the time she was done and ready to run her morning bath, Jesse had usually texted back, and they would chat for a bit as Rachel finished getting ready according to the rest of her strict routine. 

But lately, things had been a little different. Rachel was lucky to get a response from Jesse before she left for school, and he often seemed disengaged from their conversations. It was making Rachel concerned for him, so she asked if she could sleep over on the coming weekend. Jesse agreed; he always loved having plans with her. So the plan was set and Rachel convinced her dads to let her go, and to give her a ride out to Akron. 

Friday after school, Rachel’s dads drove her to Jesse’s house, lecturing her the whole way about dos and don’ts and the like. She assured them it would be fine and gave them each a hug and kiss on the cheek when they arrived. Grabbing her (way too large for just two nights) bag from the seat beside her, Rachel texted Jesse that she was outside and climbed out of the car. 

Rachel saw Jesse open the door and hurried up the steps with an eager smile on her face. “Hi!” she greeted cheerfully, setting her bag down to hug him tightly. As she pulled back, she noticed he was wearing the same pyjamas he’d been in when they Skyped the night before. “Did you not go to school today?” she asked, brow furrowing in concern. 

Jesse shook his head. “Don’t worry about it, I’m fine,” he replied, smiling lightly and hugging her again. He picked up her bag when they separated again, and Rachel waved goodbye to her dads as she followed Jesse inside and shut the door behind them. 

“I missed you,” she said, looking up at him. “We haven’t talked as much this week as usual. I know I’ve been busier than usual so it’s not just on you, it’s just circumstances, but-”

Jesse cut her off by kissing her quickly. “I know. I’m sorry. It’s been a long week, for both of us. At least we’re here now.” 

Rachel nodded, smiling and for once in her life, quiet. She drank in the feeling of being with Jesse again, wrapping her arms around him for a third time. It had been far too long since they’d last seen each other for her liking, and she was going to make the most of it. 

They ended up in Jesse’s room, Rachel laying with her head on his chest and playing with his fingers as his other hand ran through her hair. They felt comfortable together, always had, and Rachel smiled softly to herself as they laid there. 

Still, she figured she finally ought to bring up what she’d been thinking about. Sitting up slightly and twisting her body to look at Jesse, she asked, “Have you been okay this week? You seemed kind of… off. I got worried.” 

Jesse sighed and sat up, leaning back against the headboard of his bed. Rachel sat across from him on the bed, tucked her legs up underneath her and smoothed her skirt out as she looked at him. “Honestly, no. It has been a bad week. Things are better with you here, though. I’m sorry I worried you.” 

Rachel frowned at his dismissiveness, leaning over to take his hands. “Do you want to talk about it?” 

He shrugged. “Not particularly. It’s fine, Rachel. Don’t worry.” 

“Okay…” Rachel nodded, sliding up the bed to curl up into his side. “You can talk to me when you have bad weeks, you know. I’m here for you, even when I’m busy.”

Jesse smiled at her and kissed her forehead. “Thank you,” he said softly. Rachel smiled back, snuggling closer into his side and closing her eyes as he hugged her against him. 

They talked for a while while cuddled up together like that, Rachel telling Jesse all about her week. “What about you?” she eventually asked. “What’d you get up to at school this week? Anything fun?” 

Jesse bit his lip. “I… didn’t actually go to school this week,” he admitted quietly. 

Rachel looked up at him, concern in her eyes. “That doesn’t sound good, are you sure everything is okay?” Jesse sighed heavily, staying quiet. “C'mon baby, talk to me. What happened?” 

“Nothing really. I just… felt terrible all week. Not physically, but…” he trailed off, shrugging. Rachel took his hand, but stayed quiet, wondering if he would keep talking if she didn’t fill the silence. Sure enough, he continued a minute later, “I just didn’t have any energy or motivation to do anything. I sat here just like this, minus you, for most of the week.” 

“You could have talked to me,” Rachel said, “I could’ve… I don’t know, done something.”

“There’s nothing for you to do, Rachel. I didn’t want you worrying about me. This just happens sometimes, it’s nothing to worry about. My parents call it lazy and disappointing and irresponsible. I don’t call it anything. It’s just another piece of the puzzle of life.” Jesse wasn’t quite looking at Rachel. It wasn’t often he talked to people about his feelings this way. 

“Are you feeling any better now?” she asked, her worried gaze so intense it seemed she was trying to bore holes through his head to find the answers in his brain herself. 

“A bit. Having you here is helpful,” he said with a soft smile. Rachel couldn’t help but feel like she was turning mushy around the edges at that, and she placed a gentle kiss on his lips. 

“Wait, I nearly forgot!” Rachel suddenly climbed off the bed, smiling excitedly under Jesse’s confused gaze as she unzipped her bag and opened it. She pulled out a gift bag in ‘their’ colours - dark blue and pink - and handed it to him, grinning as she sat back down on the bed to watch him open it. 

Rolling his eyes playfully at Rachel, Jesse pulled the tissue paper out of the top of the bag and peered inside, starting to pull things out. For an average-sized gift bag, Rachel sure had stuffed it full of things. By the time the bag was empty, Jesse’s bed was littered with all his favourite candies, a mug with a bunch of different playbills printed on it, a tiny jar of honey, a box of lemon tea bags, a sweater that Rachel had (very messily) sewn hearts onto the wrist part of the sleeves of, and a shiny gold pin of an R in cursive script, nestled in a small box. 

Rachel opened the box containing the pin and lifted a necklace from under her sweater. It was a plain gold chain with a charm attached; a J in the same cursive font. “Now we’ll have a little reminder of each other no matter how far we are and how little we can talk.” She smiled sweetly. 

Jesse smiled back at her and scooped all the candy, the mug, and the tea supplies back into the bag, then took the box from her hand and attached the pin to his V-neck. “You’re adorable, Rachel Berry,” he told her. Rachel blushed and giggled slightly, playing with the chain of her necklace. “Speaking of gifts,” Jesse added, grabbing his phone from his nightstand, “How do you feel about these bracelets?” He showed her a website selling bracelets that could receive signals from the other bracelet and would vibrate when the other bracelet was tapped. 

Rachel studied the website. “Well the aesthetics could certainly be better, but the idea is sweet. I think they’re cute. I miss you a lot when we’re apart, why do we have to live so far?” She pouted.

Jesse ran a hand through Rachel’s hair. “I know. I wish I could see you every day.” He sighed and kissed her forehead. 

She huffed and sat up. “At least we’re here now,” she said, stretching. She picked her phone up off the bed, studying the screen for a moment, then looking back up at Jesse with a smile on her face. “Sing with me?” 

He nodded and Rachel stood up, grabbing his hand to pull him up with her. They sang through half her playlist together, by the end of it not even worried about sounding good and just singing happy upbeat love songs together, having fun with it. 

Jesse got dressed so they could go out for a walk and to get tea afterwards, both still smiley and a little giddy with the energy from the music as they walked down the street together holding hands. They arrived at the coffee shop and got their drinks, sitting down in a little corner booth together. Rachel stirred her tea idly with one of the tiny brown straws as she waited for it to cool, unable to keep herself from laughing when she saw Jesse take a large gulp from his fresh cup and immediately burn his tongue. He pouted at her. “Stop laughing at my pain,” he said, playfully exaggerating the issue. 

Rachel contained her giggles and gave him a sympathetic look. “I’ve heard that sugar on your tongue cures hot drink burns, grab a packet and try it out.” She watched as Jesse ripped open one of the little sugar packets and poured it onto his tongue, then made a face and took another huge drink of his tea. Laughing again at his face of total disgust, Rachel looked closer at the packet. “That was artificial sweetener, you moron!” she said, catching her breath and grinning. 

They finished their drinks over the course of the next hour, then headed out again. They walked back to Jesse’s house hand-in-hand, Rachel leaning against his side a little to combat the chilly breeze that had sprung up. 

Jesse noticed her closeness. “You cold?” he asked, stepping off to the side of the sidewalk to stop for a moment. 

“A bit. That breeze is the issue.”

Jesse removed his denim jacket and draped it across her shoulders, then put an arm around her as they continued walking. “How’s that?” 

“Warmer, thanks,” Rachel replied, a lovestruck smile on her face and a light blush on her cheeks. 

They were right on time for dinner when they got back, sitting down with Jesse’s parents to eat. It was a little awkward, but they liked Rachel enough and the meal passed without any major issue. Jesse’s parents went upstairs to their bedroom after dinner and Rachel helped Jesse with the dishes, sharing a soft look over the dishwasher that showed they were both thinking about doing these types of small domestic things together in their own place someday. 

They sat in the living room once the dishes were dealt with, curled up side-by-side on the couch as they half-watched some mindless movie. They were more wrapped up in each other than anything on-screen, and after a while Jesse pulled Rachel into his lap to kiss her more deeply, his hands settling on her lower back. 

Rachel slid her hands into Jesse’s hair and shifted to get comfortable in his lap. His lips left hers and she opened her eyes just slightly, closing them again when she felt his hand resting on her face, tipping her head back to kiss her neck. The mood in the room had shifted. It seemed as if the world had shrunk to just the two of them; to Rachel’s hands ever-so-lightly tugging at Jesse’s hair, to her legs on either side of his hips, to his lips on her neck and jawline, to their equally heavy breaths. 

Jesse leaned back and smiled at Rachel, his hands moving from her back to the buttons of her cardigan. Rachel nodded, returning his smile and removing her hands from his hair to make things easier. He fumbled with the tiny buttons and she giggled, knocking his hands aside and unbuttoning the cardigan quickly, slipping it off her shoulders and setting it on the couch beside them. Jesse’s hands had returned to her waist in the process, untucking her shirt from her skirt and sliding his hands underneath it. Rachel grinned at him, grabbing the bottom of the shirt and pulling it off. She placed it on top of the cardigan and turned back to Jesse, who was watching her with an awestruck look on his face. 

“You’re so pretty,” he whispered. Rachel blushed and kissed him. He kissed her back, one arm around her to keep her steady and the other sliding up between them to trace the edge of her polka-dotted bra. She grabbed his hand and he thought for a moment she was going to stop him, but instead she encouraged him to touch her more, breaking off their kiss to catch her breath as his hands explored her chest. 

Jesse looked her up and down. She was absolutely stunning under normal circumstances, and the current situation was only helping. He watched her as she pulled her headband off and placed it atop her shirt and sweater, then ran her hands through her hair, and he thought to himself that he really had to see her with her hair messy more often. 

Rachel noticed him staring and bit her lip, only getting more worked up by the attention. He nudged her off his lap and sat up straighter, pulling his shirt over his head and tossing it generally near Rachel’s stuff. She was about to climb back on top of him when she saw his hands move to his sweatpants, her heart racing as she watched him slide them off and add them to the pile of their things. 

She stood up from the couch, tugging her skirt down her hips and placing it on top of his pants. She glanced quickly at what was left of her outfit and was pleased to find that it all matched for the most part; her white knee socks, pink underwear, and black-and-white polka dot bra almost made it seem like she’d intended to be seen in this state. 

Jesse certainly wasn’t complaining about her outfit. His eyes ran over her and he grabbed her hands to pull her back into his lap, capturing her lips in an eager kiss. Rachel straddled his lap again, kissing him back as she slid her hands into his hair and felt his hands on her hips. She gasped into his mouth when he pulled her closer and her hips made contact with his. His hips rolled up instinctively into hers and she dropped her head to his shoulder, biting her lip. They stayed there like that for a moment, taking in the feeling of being pressed against each other with so little clothing in the way. 

Jesse ran his hand along the back of Rachel’s bra, giving her a confused look when he felt no clasp. She leaned back and undid the closure in the front, unable to hold in her giggles at Jesse’s ‘mental lightbulb going off’ face as she removed the bra. He slid his hands up her sides and to her chest, tentative at first. Rachel gave him a look. “Touch me,” she whispered, and he felt like his brain was turning to mush. He cupped her breasts and squeezed them gently, watching Rachel’s face for any reaction, good or bad. She nodded at him and leaned into his touch, her breathing heavy and quick as he touched her, alternating focus between the full breast and just her nipples. He pinched one of her nipples, lightly and experimentally, and she gasped so loudly he kissed her to quiet her down. 

Rachel left Jesse’s lips as he continued touching her chest. She placed small kisses all the way down his neck, and one in the dip of his collarbone. His hands flexed slightly against her when she did that, so she tried it again and got a shaky half-breath, half-sigh. She focused her attention there while Jesse’s hands moved to her back, then to her ass, squeezing and kneading at it. When Rachel kissed up Jesse’s neck again, she noticed the red mark she’d left behind on his collarbone and smirked against his skin. 

She pulled back and smiled at him. She used the moment to take note of how she felt; her head might as well have been full of mist rather than a brain and every part of her body felt like it was buzzing with energy. Meanwhile, Jesse was just staring at her. He took in her messy hair, swollen lips, the way her chest moved with her heavy breaths, and how burning hot she felt against him. “We should go up to my room,” he said quietly, a coherent thought breaking through the haze in his brain. 

Rachel nodded and climbed off of him. She glanced at their pile of clothes and grabbed his shirt with a playful smile, putting it on. He stood up to put his sweatpants back on and kissed the top of her head as she picked up her clothes. He turned the TV off and slipped a hand into hers as they made their way up the stairs and into Jesse’s room. Rachel put her clothes in her bag, folding them neatly. When she turned back to Jesse, he was just setting his phone down and music began to play throughout the room.

“Now where were we?” Rachel said in a low voice, walking over to him. 

“Well first of all, I could see much more of you than I can right now,” Jesse commented, reaching down to pull his shirt over her head. 

“I could say the same,” she replied, sliding her hands under the waistband of his pants and sliding them down slowly. She bent down slightly to push them off the rest of the way (damn his long legs) and pressed a quick kiss to the inside of his thigh, just near the hem of his underwear, as she stood back up. 

Jesse scooped Rachel up and placed her on his bed, hovering over top of her. She leaned up to kiss him, her hands in his hair yet again. Supporting himself on one hand, he slid a hand up her side and rested it on her breast, lightly pinching it in hopes of getting the same reaction he’d gotten downstairs. 

Rachel let out a soft moan and tugged on Jesse’s hair, pulling back from the kiss and guiding his head down to her chest. With his hand on one breast and his mouth on the other, she couldn’t hold back her gasps and whines. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he rocked into her gently, the idea that just two thin pieces of fabric separated them making his head buzz. 

Jesse sat up slightly and Rachel dropped her legs back to the bed. He rested his hands on her thighs and returned his mouth to her chest, then slowly made his way down her stomach until he reached the top of her panties. He switched to kissing her inner thighs and Rachel whined. “Don’t tease, Jesse,” she pouted. 

He smirked at her and sat back, sliding her panties off and dropping them off the side of the bed. He ran a hand up her thigh and slid a finger through her folds. “You are soaked, Rach,” he commented, letting out a breath. She moaned and pushed her hips into his touch, looking for more. He leaned down and kissed her thighs, then placed a tiny kiss on her clit, feeling accomplished when just that made her gasp. Her fingers laced into his hair, tugging in time with her moaning and whining as he licked her slowly, taking his time to work her up even when she tried to get him to speed up. 

He looked up at her after a few minutes, smiling at her. She gave him a frustrated whine in response. “What is it, baby?” he asked playfully, as though he had no idea what she wanted. 

“More,” she said, her voice pleading, “Please.” 

Jesse nodded and lowered his head again, shifting the attention of his mouth solely to her clit and sliding a finger inside her, then adding a second. She clenched around him and pulled on his hair, biting her lip to suppress the sound that threatened to escape her. 

Rachel sat up when she felt herself starting to get close. She pulled Jesse over to kiss him deeply, a shudder running through her at the taste of herself in his mouth. She kissed down his neck, chest, and stomach until she reached his boxers, tugging them down. He worked them off the rest of the way, although that wasn’t an easy task with Rachel wrapping a hand around his dick. 

That only lasted a couple minutes before Jesse nudged her away and opened his bedside table drawer, pulling out a condom and putting it on. Rachel climbed on top of him once it was in place and he grinned; he loved being able to watch her and the best way he’d found to do that was when she was on top. 

She lowered herself slowly onto him, biting her lip. Jesse took her hands and she squeezed his as she dropped the rest of the way. He groaned quietly at the feeling of being fully inside her. He tried to watch every part of her at once as she rolled her hips and grinded into him, getting used to the feeling, then started lifting and lowering herself on him at a slow pace. “Rachel,” he whined, looking at her. 

“You did the same thing to me earlier,” she pointed out with a teasing smile, continuing at the same slow speed. “You can be patient.” 

She took his whole length inside her again and went back to grinding against him, her breathing heavy and quiet sounds escaping her whenever he hit a spot inside her just right. While the actual movements weren’t doing as much for Jesse as they were for Rachel, he was more than content to watch her face and hips and listen to the moans and whimpers that she shamelessly let fall from her lips. 

When Rachel’s moans got more frequent and less coherent, Jesse knew she was getting close. He flipped them over and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he started thrusting in and out of her. She reached between them and rubbed her clit in time with his thrusts, her whines getting higher and higher in pitch as she reached her peak, clenching around him and squeezing the sheets in her free hand. 

He slowed his thrusts until her orgasm faded completely, then paused. He waited until she rolled her hips into his, then started moving again. He was hoping to give her a second orgasm before he reached his, so he was careful not to move too quickly. He started rubbing her clit gently and bit his lip when she clenched around him and moaned. 

Rachel was already well on the way to coming again, rolling her hips to meet Jesse’s and moaning loudly with no concern for if anyone heard her. She grabbed his hands and guided them to her chest. Between Jesse thrusting inside her, his hands on her chest, and his pelvis hitting her clit, she was feeling as though she might burst into flames if she received any more pleasure.

Jesse was just on the edge of his own orgasm, trying to hold it off so he could make Rachel come again. He sped his thrusts up and squeezed her tits, pinching her nipple - he’d quickly learned that she really liked that - and she clenched so hard around him and let out such a moan that he couldn’t help himself anymore and came right there, leaning down to kiss her as the feeling coursed through him. 

Rachel was so frustratingly close, starting to rub her clit as she grinded her hips into his, chasing her orgasm as he came down from his. He pulled away from her and moved her hand. She whined at the lack of contact, but it turned into a moan as he slid two fingers deep into her and his mouth found her clit again. She was so worked up already that she knew it wouldn’t be long, pinching and tweaking her own nipples and moaning loudly as Jesse slipped a third finger inside her, stretching her a little more. He thrusted his fingers fast while licking and sucking her clit, and she felt a mind-blowing orgasm building in her stomach, burning hot and fiery until she pinched both her nipples at the same time Jesse thrust his fingers into her and licked over her clit and she burst, clenching and shaking and whining as the climax ran through her whole body, slowly fading and leaving her feeling like Jell-O on Jesse’s bed. 

Jesse got up and headed into his bathroom, leaving the door open (the bathroom was connected to his room so there was no real reason to shut it) as he removed and disposed of the condom, then dampened a washcloth and brought it back to Rachel, both of them cleaning up in a comfortable silence. When they were done he tossed the washcloth in the general direction of his clothes hamper and put a pair of boxers on, handing Rachel one of his shirts. They cuddled up together on top of the blankets, still a little too warm to properly get into bed. Rachel rested her head on Jesse’s chest and smiled at him, stifling a yawn. 

“Tired?” Jesse asked her, brushing her hair back out of her face and lacing his fingers with hers. 

Rachel nodded. “Your fault,” she said teasingly, “you wore me out.” 

Jesse chuckled, shaking his head. “C’mere, get up for a second and I’ll fix the blankets.” He helped her up and pulled back the blankets, separating a thin sheet and climbing into the bed with Rachel, holding her close. “Get some sleep, Rach,” he said quietly. 

“But I wanna talk to you,” she pouted. 

“What if I sing to you?” Jesse suggested, smiling at her. 

“Alright,” Rachel conceded, snuggling into his chest and closing her eyes. Jesse wrapped his arms around her and played with her hair as he started singing quietly, choosing one of his favourite songs that he associated with Rachel - She Makes Me by Queen - and tapping the beat lightly against her arm. 

She was asleep before the song ended, and he followed suit shortly afterwards. 

Rachel was the first one awake the next day, grabbing her phone to check the time. She was shocked to see that it was nearly 10am; she never slept in. She snuggled closer to Jesse, resting her face in the crook of his neck and letting out a contented sigh. She was never happier than when she was with Jesse. 

Jesse woke up shortly after, wrapping his arms around Rachel and yawning. “Morning,” he said. Rachel grinned a little at the sound of his morning voice. 

“Good morning,” she said softly, “Would you believe it’s almost 10am already?” 

Jesse responded with an incoherent murmur as he hugged Rachel closer, kissing the top of her head. 

Rachel rolled her eyes slightly at his lack of morning-person-ness, giving him a kiss on the cheek and trying to coax him into conversation. “How’d you sleep?” 

“Alright,” he replied, “Still kind of tired though.” 

“Still? I know we went to bed a little late but we slept in too, how much sleep do you need?” Her tone was playful and teasing, but with an undercurrent of concern. He just shrugged, looking a little down, so she dropped the subject. “You want to go make breakfast? You can teach me to make those fancy waffles you made last time, you said you’d show me how.” 

Jesse sighed and nodded, sitting up. He could tell Rachel wouldn’t let it go. “Alright, let’s go. Fancy waffles it is.” Rachel grinned and kissed him, climbing out of bed. She pulled a pair of pyjama shorts from her bag and put them on over her knee socks and Jesse’s shirt. He finished pulling a shirt on and smiled at her. “You look cute,” he told her, hugging her. 

They headed downstairs to the kitchen while holding hands, Rachel chattering on about a thousand different things as Jesse smiled softly at her. She climbed up onto the counter, still talking, and watched him grab the ingredients and set them all out. Rachel finally quieted down as Jesse talked her through the recipe while putting things in the bowl, then handed it to her to stir. She was occupied with mixing the ingredients and Jesse set up the waffle maker, then took the bowl from her. He showed her how it worked and although he was expecting a disaster, he let her try next. 

Sure enough, there was waffle batter dripped all over the counter and little stray drops burning onto the waffle maker. Jesse laughed, wiping up what he could of the mess and letting their waffles cook. The one Rachel made was a little messy but they covered them in strawberries and powdered sugar and ate them there in the kitchen. They cleaned up the mess, Rachel swiping some powdered sugar onto Jesse’s nose and giggling. 

Turning back from throwing out a paper towel, Rachel looked up at Jesse. “What should we do today?” she asked, smiling eagerly.

Jesse thought for a moment. “How are you at ice skating?”

Forty-five minutes later they were both ready and Jesse's car was pulling up outside an indoor skating rink with both of them inside, Rachel practically vibrating with excitement as they headed inside. Jesse had brought his skates, but they rented a pair for Rachel and he helped her lace them tight before they made their way out onto the ice. 

Jesse held Rachel’s hand to help her on, and she clung to his hand even as they started skating. He watched her out of the corner of his eye; she wasn’t doing too badly, but her balance needed work. “Rach, if you focus more on keeping your feet right underneath you you’ll balance better,” he advised. 

She nodded and adjusted herself, smiling at him. He glided along easily and she tried to match his pace, but when they reached the corner of the rink he let go of her hand. “You can do it,” he encouraged, smiling at her, “I’ll stay right beside you in case you fall.” 

Rachel grinned, trying to keep up with his speed. She tried to turn a little bit and tripped right into Jesse, who did his best to catch her but ended up flat on the ice with her on top of him, both of them shaking their heads and laughing. He stood up carefully and helped her do the same, keeping hold of her hand this time as they started moving again. 

After a few minutes of easy, relatively slow circles around the rink, Jesse got an idea and gave Rachel a mischievous smile. “Just hold on to my hand and focus on balancing, don’t worry about keeping up,” he instructed, leaving her confused for just a second before he started to speed up, pulling her along with him. They did a lap of the rink at the fastest speed Jesse could manage, then he slowed them down to a stop by the entrance, smiling at Rachel’s excited grin and slightly breathless laughter. They exited the rink for a break, and Jesse bought them each a hot chocolate from the small concessions booth. They sat together on a bench on the edge of the rink and watched the skaters that went past for a while as they held hands and sipped their drinks. 

They went back out on the ice for a bit after finishing their hot chocolates, then returned Rachel’s rented skates and headed out to Jesse’s car. “Back to your place?” Rachel asked, buckling her seatbelt while Jesse put his skate bag in the backseat. 

“Actually, I had one more place I wanted to show you before we go back, as long as you don’t mind.” 

“Sounds great,” she smiled at him as he climbed into the car. 

“You don’t even know what it is!” he laughed, smiling back at her. 

Loudly singing along to the radio with Rachel, Jesse drove to this tiny little bakery just a block from his house. “I know the family who owns this place, they’re the sweetest. And they make the best lemon scones in the world,” he told her as he parked, climbing out of the car and hurrying over to Rachel’s side to open her door. 

They went in together, Jesse’s arm around Rachel’s shoulders, and the girl at the register waved to him. “Hey, Jesse!” she said cheerily, “Ooh, who’s this?” 

“This is Rachel, my girlfriend,” Jesse replied, smiling. Rachel couldn’t help but feel warm and soft whenever she heard him call her his girlfriend, and she smiled sweetly as well. “Rachel, this is Sarah. She goes to Carmel with me, that’s how we met.”

“Freshman year algebra, I remember it well. I was the only reason he didn’t fail,” Sarah said, grinning, “Hey Jesse, you going to start sharing those free cookies I ‘definitely don’t’ give you with her instead of me?”

Jesse laughed a little and shook his head. “No, she’s only here for the weekend. She lives out in Lima.”

The two continued to chatter on and while Rachel normally would have felt left out, she was more than content to watch Jesse as he talked. He seemed so happy and full of energy, and she smiled to herself as she noticed the improvement in his mood. She gave him a little side-hug as they stood there, her heart feeling full. She was just glad he was feeling better. 

Jesse bought four lemon scones, but somehow they left the bakery with those plus half a dozen mildly-imperfect chocolate chip cookies and a loaf of raisin bread that Jesse told Rachel his parents loved. They sat on the roof of Jesse’s car in the fresh cool breeze and he pulled two scones out of the bag, handing one to Rachel. He watched her bite into it and smiled. “Are they the best ever or what?”

Rachel nodded, her mouth still full of pastry, and when she could speak again she replied, “Yep, they’re great. This is a cute little place, and it’s sweet that you and Sarah get along so well.” 

“Like she said, she’s the only thing that kept me passing algebra in freshman year,” Jesse chuckled a little, “Her parents own the place, and we spent so much time together, especially back when we were freshmen, that I got to know them all pretty well. She’s an awesome friend. And she’s not in a show choir, which is nice. I love it, but I need at least one part of my life not associated with performing.” 

Although she didn’t quite share the sentiment, Rachel nodded as she took another bite of her scone. She took Jesse’s hand as they sat in a comfortable quiet together.

They headed back to Jesse’s place after they finished eating and were both a little surprised to realize it was already nearing 3pm. They went up to Jesse’s room and he shut the door behind them. “Hey Rach, I’ve got something on the bottom shelf in my closet that I’ve been saving for the next time you came over, why don’t you see if you can figure out what it is?” 

Always eager for a challenge, Rachel nodded and opened his sliding closet doors. She searched around for a moment, then pulled out a 12-pack of sugary fruity vodka coolers. “These?” she asked, her tone confused as though she was certain she was wrong. 

“Ding ding ding, we have a winner,” he said playfully. “Only if you want to, and we definitely don’t have to have all of them. They’re leftovers from the last party Vocal Adrenaline had so it’s not like I got them specifically for us. I just thought it might be fun.” 

Rachel thought for a moment. “I don’t know…”

“Well we don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Jesse assured her.

“It’s not that I don’t want to, I just… I’ve been told I get clingy.”

“You’re always a little clingy,” Jesse said teasingly, smiling at her and kissing her nose, “but if you’re worried about that, don’t be. It’s just us here, I don’t mind at all if you’re stuck to me.” 

“What about your parents?”

“Going out tonight. They told me to order dinner for me and you. If you want to drink, all the circumstances are pretty okay for it.” 

She considered it for another moment, then nodded and grinned. “What the hell, right? It’s just us here and it’ll be fun.” 

Jesse smiled back at her and opened the box of drinks, handing her a can and taking one for himself. They talked as they drank, swapping stories of stupid things that had happened in their glee club rehearsals. Rachel had a lot more stories that fit that category than Jesse did, so he ended up telling her about some of the parties Vocal Adrenaline had thrown. They worked their ways through two drinks each that way over about an hour and a half, Jesse’s eyes widening when Rachel took a third can and drank about half of it in a couple of gulps. 

“You’re really looking to party tonight, huh?” he asked her. 

She gave him a slightly lopsided smile. “I’m with you and I trust you more than just about anyone, it’s probably the best time I’ll ever have to do it.”

“Well, remember we’ve got the whole night, no need to rush.”

They went back to talking and sharing stories, Rachel considerably more giggly and cheerful than she’d been at the start. They finished their third drinks by 5:30pm, and Jesse found himself with a lapful of Rachel as he tried to choose something for them to order for dinner. He eventually selected a pizza place that cared too much about appearing healthy, only because they were the only takeout he could find with a vegan option that wasn’t a soggy salad with no dressing. He ordered them a pizza with faux cheese and let Rachel know it was on the way, only receiving a murmur in response. She was perfectly content to sit in his lap with her head on his shoulder for the rest of the night, it seemed. 

They stayed there that way together until the pizza arrived, then they headed down to the living room to get the door and brought the pizza back up to Jesse’s room. Even though they had the house to themselves, they were both the most comfortable tucked away in his room. They each grabbed a fourth drink, which they drank slowly as they worked their way through the whole medium pizza. By the time they’d finished eating, the clock read 7:00pm and Rachel looked deep in thought, then grinned at Jesse and said, “We should play never have I ever.” 

He agreed, so she pulled two more drinks from the box. She handed him one and took one for herself. “First to finish their drink is the loser, and no tiny little sips either,” she said, “You start.”

Jesse thought for a moment and said, “Never have I ever gone into a performance unprepared.” 

Rachel pouted at him and took a drink. “Never have I ever gotten below a B in a class.” 

“Oh so you’re playing dirty,” he commented, drinking. They played several rounds like that, keeping up with each other relatively well. When both their drinks were nearly empty, it was Rachel’s turn again.

“Never have I ever kissed someone the same gender as me,” she said, biting her lip as she was nearly certain he wouldn’t drink and she would lose, but watching with wide eyes as he finished his drink and raised his hands in surrender.

“You win, Rachel Berry. You are ruthless at that game,” he told her, finally noticing her look of surprise. “What? I got around before we were together. Girls and guys.” Rachel suddenly looked upset, her face crumpling. “Wait, what’s wrong Rach?” 

Rachel pouted, crossing her arms. “Nothing,” she replied. 

“Baby, I can tell you’re upset, what is it?” Jesse leaned back on his bed and held open his arms. She climbed into his lap and he held her, running his hands through her hair. 

“What if… you were with so many people before me… what if you think one of them is better and want to go back to them and leave me?” She sounded near tears, and while the heightened emotions had come from her drunk state, the insecurity beneath it was real. 

“Rachel baby, if I thought any of them were better than you I would be with them,” he assured her, “Don’t worry. It’s okay.” She sniffled but nodded, burying her face in his chest. He held her close, rubbing her back gently until she felt a little better. 

After a few minutes, she looked at him with her eyes alight as though she’d just had the best idea of her life. “We’ve only got two drinks left, right?” He glanced at the box and nodded. “Bet I can drink it faster than you.” 

Jesse knew this wasn’t a good idea, but that rational side of his brain was stamped out by his buzz from the previous drinks. “Winner gets to plan our next date, loser pays,” he suggested, and Rachel grinned. 

“You’re going down,” she said confidently, grabbing the two cans and passing one to him. “Count of three.”

They counted down together and on “one”, both opened their drinks and chugged them as fast as they could. To Jesse’s complete shock (and a little amazement) Rachel lowered her can a second before he did. “Told you you were going down!” she cheered, grinning and jumping up off the bed to do a celebratory little dance. 

Jesse saw the disaster coming just a second before Rachel did, when she gave a particularly eager jump and spun in a circle and her face went pale, then a little green. He was sure he’d never gotten off his bed or felt sobered up faster, sweeping Rachel into his bathroom and sitting next to her to hold her hair and comfort her (while attempting to hide his cringing) as she emptied her stomach into the toilet. When she leaned back, finished, he flushed the toilet and took her hands. 

“I’m sorry,” she whimpered, her voice rough and shaking. 

“Shh, it’s alright. There’s nothing for you to apologize for, okay? You wait right here, I’m going to grab your toothbrush and something comfy for you to change into.” He stood up and went back into his room, opening her bag and finding her toothbrush and a pair of shorts, then grabbing one of his hoodies for her and returning to the bathroom. “Here baby, brush your teeth so you don’t have to taste that anymore and then get changed.” He took her hand to help her up and left her to do that while he changed as well. 

She finished changing and came back into his room, starting to feel less shaky but still leaning up against the bathroom door frame to keep herself steady. Jesse walked over and wrapped an arm around her waist, walking with her over to his bed and climbing in, then holding the blanket open for her. Rachel curled up against his chest, sighing. 

“Get some sleep, Rach,” Jesse said softly. It was only around 9pm, but he could tell she was worn out and he wouldn’t pass up the opportunity for more time to snuggle with her. “I’ll be right here the whole time, I promise.” 

“Okay… Night, Jesse,” she smiled weakly at him, “Thanks.” 

“No problem,” he replied, kissing her forehead. “Goodnight, baby. I love you.”

“I love you too.” 

Jesse played with her hair and hummed softly to himself for a little while until he was certain she was asleep, then scrolled through his phone for a bit while holding her close. He couldn’t resist taking a photo of them together with her all curled up next to him, looking so relaxed as she slept. He set his phone down and went to sleep about an hour after she had, resting his head on hers and feeling wrapped up in the subtle scent of her honey shampoo and fresh ocean-y perfume. 

Jesse woke up first the next morning, checking his phone and seeing that it was pushing 9am. He didn’t want to wake Rachel; she looked so comfy and calm, and she deserved the rest. Still, he knew she hated to sleep in and would be upset if she didn’t get to spend much time with him before her dads picked her up at 1pm, so he gently shook her shoulder and brushed her hair from her eyes. “Rach, baby,” he murmured quietly, “it’s almost nine, I figure you’ll wanna be up.”

Rachel opened her eyes with a slight groan. Her head was aching and her stomach felt like it was just waiting to leap into her throat at the closest opportunity. She buried her face in Jesse’s chest, pouting. 

“You okay?” he asked her, running a hand over her back. 

She shook her head, then winced as she immediately regretted it. “Last night was a bad idea,” she replied, her voice hoarse and thick. 

Jesse could tell she felt pretty terrible. “Here baby, let me up and I’ll get you some meds and water, alright?” Rachel reluctantly detached from him and curled into a blanket cocoon as Jesse found her some Tylenol and filled a glass of water. He came back into his room from his bathroom, calling out to her softly, “Alright baby, you take these and drink at least half this water and then you can go back to sleep for a little while, I’ll pack your stuff up for you so you’re all ready to go when your dads get here.” 

And that was exactly what they did. Jesse sat on the edge of the bed as Rachel took the medicine and drank some water, then made sure she was comfortable as she dozed back off before getting up again to pack her bag. That wasn’t too difficult a task, as nearly everything was either still in the bag or nearby to it. Once that was done, it was only 9:30 and he didn’t want to wake Rachel up yet, but didn’t want to go back to sleep himself either. 

Jesse got an idea after a few moments of thinking and grabbed some paper and a pen from his desk, writing out a very sweet love letter to Rachel and folded it up, tucking it into the bottom of her bag for her to discover when she unpacked. By that point another hour had passed and he woke Rachel up again, climbing back into bed with her. They spent the next two hours snuggling in relative silence, occasionally scrolling through their phones but mostly just enjoying each other’s presence. 

At 12:30 Rachel’s dads started texting her to confirm that they’d be there in half an hour, so the two got up and got dressed, brought Rachel’s bag downstairs, and sat in the living room eating some fruit for breakfast and watching whatever was on TV. 

1pm on the dot they heard a car pull up outside and they both stood. Jesse hugged Rachel tightly and kissed her quick, smiling. “Feel better, beautiful. Thank you so much for everything this weekend.”

“I’ll miss you,” Rachel said quietly, holding his hands. She was stalling and they both knew it, but they’d take any extra seconds they could get.

“I’ll miss you too, but we’ll be able to talk more this week. I love you.” 

“I love you too. Talk to you soon.” 

“Talk to you soon, Rachel.” Jesse smiled and opened the door for her, then stood on the porch waving until her car disappeared around the corner at the end of the block. 

They texted back-and-forth that day and Skyped that night as normal. She told him she'd found his love letter and thanked him for it, showing him where she'd hung it up on her bulletin board. The next day they both had school, so the texts were fewer and further between. Rachel grinned excitedly when she saw a text from Jesse pop up while she was sitting in Glee club; she normally didn’t let herself use her phone in class or clubs but she couldn’t resist this time. 

The text contained a photo of Jesse in his newest Vocal Adrenaline costume that was very distinctly wide- and low-necked, showing off a lot of Jesse’s collarbone and as such, the still red hickey Rachel had left there on Friday night. Rachel had to bite her lip to keep herself from laughing as she read the caption he’d included for the photo: "My whole team started laughing at me when I came out of the dressing room. I tried to tell them all it’s a mosquito bite… don’t be surprised if they call you ‘mosquito’ next time you see any of them"

**Author's Note:**

> If anyone was wondering about those bracelets Jesse mentions, they're a real thing! They're called BondTouch, my ex and I had them for a little while. Just wanted to add this in case someone was curious!


End file.
